The Thematic Study of Diasporic Writing in English

Indian diaspora is categorized into old (indenture) and new diaspora. Diasporic writing in English is now equally produced from Old diaspora i.e. in the South Pacific, the Caribbean, South Africa, Mauritius, and from the contemporary Indian diaspora of USA, UK, Canada, Australia and others. Though there are certain commonalities in the literary presentations of the “old and the new,” the responses and the narratives differ greatly. The old and the new writers of the Indian diaspora differ in their socio-cultural backgrounds, literary ancestries, thematic pre-occupations and literary style. Their responses to India also vary: they range from sentimentality and nostalgia to a celebration and coming of age. However what is common in both is their experience of exile, alienation and their effort to replenish by symbolic returns to their origins. Indo-Fijian Diaspora portrays the diasporic movements, indenture, colonialism, post colonialism, coups, racism, discrimination, second shift and diasporic dispersals.